Was the vegan meatball sub as good as the one's I grew up with near Philadelphia? Nah. But still - I dug it.

The woman who owns the van could have been harried – she was the only one preparing and serving the food. But she’s a good vegan, so, you know, she wasn’t too stressed out.

How pleasant to encounter a menu with not the slightest nod to carnivores or dairy-hounds. Not a scrap within the van came from an animal. The Reuben came draped in a curry slaw made by Five Points Fermentation Company[5], a group of fermentation-fiends in the Denver neighborhood. The buffalo-wing-style[6] sandwich contained that style’s heady punch of heat. I went for the Freak Out, a meatball sub with marinara and a tofu-avocado pesto ricotta.

I lugged the container back to the office[7] – my usual routine (boo) – and inhaled it at Ye Olde Deske. The roll was soft and chewy, with some welcome tension (it was neither a pillow nor a tire). The meatballs, big and touched with classic Italian flavors – basil, oregano, garlic. The marinara added a nice acid tang, and the schmear of faux ricotta worked fine, although I think it would have been better with, say, a pile of caramelized onions and peppers.